Toy power drive



March`23 1926. 4 I 1,577,798

c. E. FLoRKr-:Y

TOY POWER DRIVE Filed Jan. 26, 1925 F/q, Z

Patented Mar. 23, V1925.

NETE` STTES Pfarr CLARENCE E. FLOBKEY, OF.I)AYTON, OHIQ, ASSIGNOR rTO THE SCHIEBLE TOY AND NOVELTY CO., 0F DAYTON, Gli-If), A CORPORATION 0F OHIO.

TOY POXVEB DRIVE.

Application led January 26, 1923. Serial No. 614,950.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, CLARENCE'E. Fnonxnr, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Toy PowerDrives, of which thek following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

My invention relates to driving mechanism and in particular to driving mechanism for toys and the like. y

lt is the object of my invention to provide a power mechanism for driving vehicles..

Tt is my object to provide a gear drive and also means o-f driving thevehicle by direct application of the gearing to the wheels of the vehicle so that the gearing will be concealed and so that rubber tires may be used on the vehicle,

It is my primary object to apply such a power drive to toys. v i

Itis essential in toys to have avery sturdy and strong type of drive with the gears concealed so that the fingers and clothing of the children using the toys will not become involved in the gears.`

It is also the object of my invention to provide rubber tires on such toys to prevent damage to floors and to furniture,iwhioh rubber tires may be cheaply and easily applied and at the same time secure the gear drive directly from the source of power to the wheels. i Y

It is an additional object ofmy invention ,to provide certain anti-friction devices and means for tightly engaging the several parts with one another with the least amount ofy lost motion during the generation of power and with the least friction of such parts during the expenditure of the power.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a mechanism having such features of advantage in combination with an inertia wheel.

It is my object to provide a toy which may be used both with and without rubber tires.

. Referring to the drawings: l

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a toy with the tire and wheel partially broken away to reveal the driving pinion and wheel gear; Fig. 2 is a section on the line Qf2 of Fig. l; -B

Fig. 3 is a section on the line {2f-2 of Fig. 1 showing a modied form of wheel gear andv axle bearing. Y

Referring to the drawings in detail:

1 is a frame or body of a vehicle in which there is mounted themain laxle 2. This axle is loosely mounted in the frame, there being inthe preferred form of my toy a clearance of about fg between the axle and the frame. This axle has on the outside of the frame adjacent its outer end a wheel which may be either a disc or spoked wheel. This wheel maybe mounted on the axle in any suitable fashion. I prefer to form a cup shaped portion 3 in this wheel with the end of the axle 4 fitting inthe `base of the cup. The wheel is providedat the rim of the cup with a relatively fiat portion 5` which flares outwardly as at 6 to form the side wall ofthe rim which is turned over Y as at 7 intoa plane substantially at right l angles to the vertical axis of the wheel forming a riding surface for the wheel and providing contact with the ground. This rim composed of the parts 6 and 7 isembraced by an overlapping resilient covering 8 forming a tire. i y

A cup-shaped disc 9 is fastened as at 10i to the portion fof the wheel, .The cup is oppositely disposed to thc.cupshaped portion 3 of the wheel so that a broadnbearing is formed V,between the respective points of contact of the two portions composing the wheel mounted on the axle,'that is, portions 9 and 8. This lends considerable strength to the wheel and stability to the structure.

The rim of this cup-shaped memberQis bent inwardly as at 11 and has its outer edge formed into a series of teeth 12. lThis complete structure, composed of the parts 9, l0, 11, and 12,' constitutes what is known as the wheel gear.

In Fig. 3a flat plate is used with a bear-l l ing member 13. In some forms of construction where a narrower form of toy is desired or a stronger bearing is required due to heavier weights such a bearing is used.

Meshing with this wheel-gear is a driving pinion 14e having teeth 15 meshing with the teeth 12 yof the wheel-gear. The driving pinion is fixed to the outer end of the incr* tia wheel shaft 16 uponwhich is mounted the inertia wheel 17. This inertia wheel shaft fits in a clearance or cut-away portion 18 in the frame 1 It is supported by the gear or gears leland is maintained in ena gapement therewith by an anti-friction roller 20 which is mounted on the stub shaft 2l carried on the inside wall of the trame l.

It will be understood that this entire coinbination of parts may be employed on one or both sides ot the toy.

It will be observed that the pinion is located within a pooket22, formed by the por tions 6 and 7 of the wheel rim, thus c-onoealing the teeth of the wheel gear and pinion and preventing a childs hands or clothing' from becoming involved in the gearing'. lt also protects the gearingl from accumulation of dirt orother foreign material which might interfere with the operation of the toy.

The arrangement ot' a loose fitting axle. and loose fitting inertia shaft in the trame `facilitates the close engagement et the parts without lost `motion so. that a pressure downwardly on the toy during the period of propulsion byl the hand betere released, which is known as a period tor storing up power, secures this result, and when the press-nre is removed provides means 'for releasing the Jrictional engagement, allowing the power stored up in the inertia wheel to be freely expended with the least friction. The anti- 'riotion rollers also play their parts ot reducingg the friction in the storing and expenditure of power.

It is to beunderstood that l comprehend within. my inventionv suitable modifications and desire toreserve to myself modifications to which I may be entitled in the adaption o-pmy invention to Varying conditions.

Having thus fully described by invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The ,combination with a wheeled toy Jframe and a floating axle associated therewith,I a wheel carried by the axle,` a transversjel curved housin terminir a struetural inteeralI part oit the wheel and vconsti-v tuting a rim, a plate gear carried by the inner face ot the wheel and spaced from the housing and being ot less diameter than the diameter of the wheel and housing combined, a power shaft` supported in the frame, a

gear carried by the shaft and engaging the plate gear and disposed in the housing, the latter serving to protectthe operators iingers from being;` injured by the gears.

2. In combination, atiaine, an axle carried thereby, outwardly dished wheels mounted thereon, a plate gear joined to a portion ot said wheel, said plate being flat, a broad bearing carried by said plate engaging with said axle, a downwardly e1;n tending` and inwardly directed portionrot said wheel spaced `from but overlapping said teeth to form a rim within which said teeth and drivingV pinion are located, a driving pinion and driving axle connected thereto, and an inertia wheel mounted thereon.

3. In combination, a trame, an axle earried thereby, outwardly (lished wheels mounted thereon, a plate ,dear joined to a portion oftsai'd wheel, said plate being fiat, a broad bearing' carried by said plate enga@ ingr with said axle, a downwardly extending:

and inwardly directer portion ot said wheel spaced from but overlapping, said teeth to term a rini within which said teeth and drivingY pinion are located, a driving pinionV and driving,v ai; 'Connected thereto, and anl inertia wheel mounted thereon, and anti-friction devices carried by said traine in engagement with the inertia wheel aille.

e. In combination, a trame, an axle carried thereby, outwardly dished mounted thereon, a plat-e gear joined te a portion of said wheel, said plate being;` dat, a broad.bearing,` carried by said plate engi;l e' ing` with said axle,l a downwardly extending and inwardly directed portion of said wheel spaced from but overlapping said teeth to torni a rim within which said teeth and drivwhe els ing pinion are located, a driving pinion and driving axle connected thereto, and an inertia wheel mounted thereon, antiflrietion devices Carried by said trame in enga-gement with the inertia wheel axle, and resilient tires mounted on thev rim of said wheel.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature.

CLARENCE FLORKEY. 

